The reduction of the Veteran's disability rating for his right forearm scar from 10 percent to noncompensable, effective June 1, 2016, was improper. The 10 percent rating is restored as of that date.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not objectively demonstrate an improvement in the Veteran’s right forearm scar and the reduction was based on a VA examination report indicating no change in function from prior examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- Right forearm scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19102213
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,287 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19102213.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities from June 24, 2010 to June 14, 2016 precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine the severity of the Veteran's restless leg syndrome and to obtain a sleep study. The right forearm scar remains rated at 10 percent, but the rating for restless leg syndrome is being remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU from January 1, 2021 onward due to his service-connected disabilities. However, the TDIU claim for the period March 19, 2012 to November 24, 2019 is denied as he had substantially gainful employment during this time.
- Granted
The Veteran's right forearm scar is granted a 10% disability rating effective December 4, 2017.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are both granted. The service connection for type II diabetes mellitus as secondary to herbicide-agent exposure is also granted.,A compensable disability rating for the right forearm scar prior to December 4, 2017, is denied.
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